#alyseb630

Sakura shifts, glancing out of the corner of her eye at herpassenger. “Can you? I do not want you to fall or injure yourself further.”

“This is a trifle,incapacitated as I am,” she replies. “If I have our permission?”

“Of course,” Sakura says,holding still.

Clawed, spindly fingertips brush back Sakura’s damp hair.Sakura tightens her grip on the cliff face, ignoring the tickling sensation ofdowny feathers against her neck. She remains still as her hair is pulled andtugged into a makeshift braid. The dampness of her hair keeps it in place.

“Thank you,” Sakura says as thecreature, Aello, adjusts and tucks her claws back into the folds of Sakura’sshirt.

“Of course,” Aello says,leaning closer and inhaling. “You smell of brine.” Her voice is melancholy andfull of want.

“It’s sweat,” Sakura explainsas she begins to climb once more. “Most mammalian humanoids do so when theyexert themselves; it cools us down.”

Aello hums, a simple but musical thing and presses her head closerto Sakura’s neck. It heats Sakura’s body even more, but she doesn’tcomplain.

“Have you ever nested at theocean?” Sakura asks to occupy her mind with something beyond the climb. “TheGreat Migration occurred centuries ago, were you present?”

Aello shakes her head against Sakura’s neck. “It was before mytime. Between human exploration and an overpopulation of sirens, we were oustedto higher grounds. We’ve visited the ocean before.” Sakura feels the way Aellotenses. “I do not think I was supposed to tell you that.”

Sakura laughs, muscles coiling as she sees the next sturdy handhold, six feet up. “Hold tight.” She flings herself upward, stomach swooping withexhilaration as she catches hold firmly. “I care not for any breaches you’vemade in your treaty. I am no enforcer. My only covenant with your people is tosee you home.”

Aello relaxes, sighing in relief. “Maybe don’t mention the oceanto my mother? It’s a secret.”

“Of course,” Sakura replies,struck suddenly by Aello’s youth. Her life may have decades on Sakura, but sheis still a child. Rage beats in her chest against the poachers but the onesresponsible are long gone. And Sakura has already dealt with the buyer and hisilk. “It will be our secret.”

“Thank you,” Aello says. “I’msorry I’ve been so much trouble. If my wing—”

“It is no trouble,” Sakurainterrupts. I am glad to help, Aello.”

Aello snuggles in closer, falling silent. Sakura doesn’t push anyfurther for conversation, hearing the pained hitch in Aello’s breath. With afractured wing, she must be in near intolerable pain, especially consideringher age. Aello has yet to complain, even when the hollow bones were undoubtedlyjarred as she fixed Sakura’s hair and even now as they climb.

Sakura turns her attention instead to her plans post-mission. Shehas no other covenants to fulfill, at least not currently. They have a way ofpiling up quickly. Maybe she’ll visit the Grand Canyon or Santorini.

Sweat drips down her arms, staining her shirt.

Santorini, definitely Santorini. She’s had enough of climbing forat least a few weeks.

They make good time as Sakura fantasizes about walking rockyshores and consuming her weight in seafood and, before she knows it, the end isin sight.

She crests the lip of the cliff, standing up on the plateau. Thisis the furthest she’ll be able to climb. Sakura gently lifts Aello down off hershoulders, unwrapping the rope binding them together.

“Sakura.”

Sakura whirls, keeping Aello at her back as she pulls the chainfrom her neck and speaks the word that elongates the charm into a staff. Greensparks emerge from the circular top of the staff. “What do youwant?” she demands, idly wondering if, perhaps, she should have been moresuperstitious.

“I am here for you,” Kakashireplies, adjusting his cuff links. He is frustratingly unruffled. “Your mothersent me.”

“My mother?” Sakura asks,tensing further. “Somehow I doubt that.”

“It’s true.”Sakura raises a hand to stop his speech as the beating of wings fills the air. “You’dbetter clear out, Kakashi. Harpies are notoriously protective of their young.”

Sakura smirks as Kakashi pales, relaxing only when he summons aportal to step through. She turns to Aello, kneeling before her. “Your moutheris here.”

Aello grins, throwing back her head and releasing a squall. It isa small, high pitched cry, reflecting her youth, that is greeted in turn by athunderous screech.

Sakura ducks her head in deference as the Queen of the NorthernHarpies lands. Her obsidian crown glints in the setting sun as do her sharpteeth as she smiles.

“I was told you were the best,”Queen Ocypete muses, striding over to Sakura. She towers above Sakura by a goodtwo feet or so. “I did not believe, I thought it impossible, but you’ve broughtmy Aello back to me.” She squats by her daughter, running her fingers overAello’s body. “I thank you for your actions today.”

“Of course,” Sakura says, eyesaverted.

Ocypete snaps and a few of her retinue steps forward, heftinglarge chests. “Your reward.”

Sakura stands and moves toward Ocypete, biting her thumb. Ocypeteturns, moving away from where she’s been cleaning her daughter’sfeathers. She bites her own scaly finger, extending it to Sakura.

“The covenant is complete,”they say as their hands touch.

There is a flash of brilliant light and Sakura finds that theitch, the one that has niggled at the back of her mind since this covenantbegan, disappears, finally scratched.

A hand tugs at her pants. Sakura turns, taking Aello’s hand.Aello beckons and Sakura kneels, grunting at the pain in her knees. She’sdefinitely overexerted herself today and she’ll pay for it tomorrow.

Aello puts her lips up by Sakura’s ear. “When I’m queen, I wantyou to join me.”

Sakura smiles, patting Aello’s uninjured wing. “Perhaps,”she defers. “I have many responsibilities.”

“I’ll come find you,” Aellopromises, stubbornness in the tilt of her chin. “You’ll see.”

Sakura smiles absently, watching as Aello is placed upon a litterand lifted into the skies. She watches as they disappear back to their kingdom,far above anyplace a human dare venture.

“Impressive.”

Sakura rolls her eyes. “Go away,Kakashi.”

“I cannot,” Kakashi says. “Yourmother ordered me here.”

“And like a good scarecrow youcame, always hovering,” Sakura says bitterly. “What does my mother want?”

“Nothing I expect,” Kakashisays blandly. “She’s dead.”

Sakura inhales sharply, tears stinging at her eyes. She and hermother were never close but to be told in such a blase manner…

“She left the menagerie to you,”Kakashi says, expression blank even in the face of Sakura’s tears. “All of it.”He stops, sketching a mocking bow. “Myself included.”

“Perfect,” she says, pinchingher brow against an oncoming headache. “What was she thinking? Me in charge of the menagerie?”

Kakashi shrugs.

Sakura sits down heavily, stunned by the news. What will she do?What can she do? She sits there until day becomes night, stirring as the moonhangs fat and heavy in the sky.

“What will you do?” Kakashiasks.

Sakura looks at him, the impeccable, remote, ageless butler of herchildhood, and grins. “I’m ending it,” she says.

“What?”

If she didn’t know better, Sakura would say Kakashi is surprised.